New 2013 K&L Exclusive Cask Scotland Pre-Arrivals

Wow! It seems people are really interested in some mature Isle of Jura! We've already sold more than 100 of our 150 available bottles from last week’s initial release and there’s no sign we’re slowing down yet. Today we're back with a couple of new pre-order releases from our 2013 campaign. As you can see in the above photo, our favorite bung-popper Mr. Des McCagherty is opening up a barrel of something quite delicious. I'm pretty sure this was the Miltonduff barrel from below. Why don't you read more about this pair of Chivas distilleries we're offering today for rock bottom prices:

1995 Miltonduff 18 Year Old K&L Exclusive Signatory Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky $69.99 (PRE-ARRIVAL) - Miltonduff was all over our trip this year, whether in its normal single malt form or under the name Mosstowie, referring to a separate whisky made on site using a Lomand still. While we skipped the Mosstowie (those Lomond stills are hard to work with no doubt) we could not pass up the opportunity to buy delicious, cask strength, 18 year old whisky for this price. Miltonduff might be familiar to some as it is the key ingredient in the famous Ballantine's blend. It is this particular whisky that makes me believe the Ballantine's 17 year could actually be rated as Jim Murray believes it should be. Altogether more typically a Highlander than Speyside (if these regional descriptions mean anything to anybody any longer), it's a powerhouse. Phenolic and earthy, we've got this sort of flinty aroma, it's not sulfur, but more struck flint on iron. Sparks! There's some herbal extract (Indian ginseng), floral remedies (crushed flowers) and an oily texture. If someone were using heavy machinery (like a license plate printing press) nearby while you were nosing this whisky you probably wouldn't notice. An intense, powerful and unusual whisky that makes you pause for a moment before filling your glass again. And you will fill it again. (David Othenin-Girard)

David D adds: Lots of Bourbon-cask style action going on with this Miltonduff. Wood spice, burnt sugar, lots of round fruit with vanilla overtones. Then there's a rather herbacous note on the finish that adds an earthy character to the back end. This is just delicious. I know it's from Miltonduff, a distillery whose whisky mostly goes into Chivas blended goods, but if you're not interested in big names or collectable bottles you're getting mature, 18 year old, full proof hooch that tastes great for a great price. That's all we can ask for anymore, right?

1995 Imperial 17 Year Old K&L Exclusive Signatory Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky $69.99 (PRE-ARRIVAL) - This may be a first (and hopefully not a last!), but we've got a lovely Imperial from a great supplier that's even CHEAPER than the last cask of Imperial we purchased. I'm not going to read too much into this, but single malt prices seem to have come down for the first time in my nearly 10 years of doing this. Maybe we just got lucky or maybe we're making better friends but this is just a screaming deal. We purchased an octave from Duncan Taylor in the 2011 campaign and sold it readily for $100. Now we're looking at an equivalently aged cask for nearly $30 less! We're talking about a closed distillery that's rather well regarded. It's just shocking. What's even more unusual is the quality of this cask. This lovely whisky shows all the complexity expected from this high quality facility. On the nose: a freshness that alternates between grassy fields and forest floor. The wood does not hinder the spirit in the slightest and a lovely comforting grainy quality is evident, alongside the fresh foliage and subtle grass. Sweet herbs (maybe dill or mint), navel orange pith, and a textural richness that's surprising considering the lighter aromas. Long, lengthy, rich even borderline syrupy. This is sure to be a classic and maybe even collectable at this price!  (David Othenin-Girard)

David D adds: For anyone who is still nursing that last sip of the 1992 Bladnoch we bottled back in 2011, have no fear of finishing that final gulp. We've got you totally covered. Imperial is an old Allied Distillers distillery that was closed in 1998. It was purchased in 2005 by Pernod Ricard, but never reopened. In 2013 the buildings were demolished and plans to build a new "Imperial" distillery on the same site were announced. What we've got in this bottle is some of the last juice from the original facility. This whisky is all sweet fruit, vanilla, jelly beans, and wood oils. Lots of unsherried roundness going on. Delicious, fun, and easy to drink. Perhaps a bit too easy. Insane price for what you're getting.

These should arrive this Fall in the same container as the Jura cask from last week. Hopefully by September!

150 bottles of each available for pre-order. Then the price goes up for in-store retail.

-David Driscoll